Sunday, 31 March 2013

Working for a Faith-Based NGO: Demystifying the world of faith-based development.

This article first appeared in the January/February
2013 edition of Monthly Developments Magazine:

For many, the term “faith-based” conjures up images
of conservative religious individuals preaching and converting as many as they
can to their particular beliefs. As a result, some donors are still skeptical
of giving to faith-based NGOs; and some young people won’t even consider
working for a faith-based organization for fear they would be stereotyped.

But there is also increasing recognition of the
benefits of faith-based organizations. And as part of this shift, donors and
governments are working to understand the vital role faith—as a whole—plays in
communities and their development.

So what is it really like to work for a faith-based
NGO? Is it any different from a secular organization and should those with
nonreligious beliefs even consider such opportunities? And, most importantly,
is it a viable avenue for promising career prospects for young people?

A few months ago, I left a market research job to
join Islamic Relief, a faith-based NGO. My manager at the time responded to my
notice with, “That is the perfect fit for you.” On the other hand, one of my
friends warned me that working for an organization with the term “Islam” in its
name would seriously dampen any future career prospects—both within and outside
the development sector.

For me, I didn’t really see the supposed big
difference. Yes, it would be faith-based but it was still a U.K.-based
organization. In reality, how different could it be?

The organization I joined, Islamic Relief, is the
world’s largest independent Muslim NGO and it operates in over 40 countries. I
decided to take the position for two main reasons: first, because it is an NGO
committed to alleviating the suffering of some of the world’s poorest communities;
and second, the Islamic element to it meant that I wouldn’t have to compromise
my religious practice and beliefs in order to pursue a career in the field I
wanted.

Almost five months into the job, it would be
misleading if I didn’t say that I am still adjusting to the culture and
operational differences compared to secular organizations.

Cultural changes

The working environment of the organization—as
expressed through those who work here—spans the entire range from very
conservative to the very nonconservative. In other words, while we have those,
for example, who will not sit at a lunch table or shake hands with anyone from
the opposite gender, the important thing is that nothing is imposed upon
everyone. As long as behavior sits within the common bounds of decency, the
general rule is for each to their own.

I consider myself a practising Muslim. But having
grown up in a Western country, I have always been exposed to diverse and
non-faith-based environments. On my first day, I struggled to stop the usual
“good mornings” I always walked into work with and to replace it with the
Islamic greeting “As salaamu alikum” (peace be upon you) that everyone
uses instead.

Even all work emails start with a shorter abbreviation
“Salaams” so that now I sometimes even have to stop myself from repeating the
greeting when typing personal emails.

As Muslims are required to pray five times a day,
the call to prayer surrounds the building at varying times, prompting those who
want to pray to head towards the various prayer rooms available.

While some may find the modest interaction between
males and females deterring, one of the real benefits of this is the mutual
respect it generates. I think it also lessens the pressure some female workers
feel in workplaces to dress up for the benefit of male colleagues or bosses.
And, in that sense, Islam is entirely compatible with serious feminism.

Family life is also encouraged at Islamic Relief.
It is perfectly normal to walk in and find employees’ children sitting at
desks; whereas in most secular organizations, the idea of children in the
workplace is usually frowned upon.

From my experiences in the U.K. and the Caribbean,
religion is often a taboo subject in the workplace. If religion is important to
an individual, the ability to discuss this openly or just randomly say “I need
to go pray” can be very appealing and it can be a great relief to not be
thought of as weird.

For some, the cultural differences may be a barrier
to entering an Islamic NGO. However, there are plenty of non-Muslims who have
chosen a career within Islamic Relief, and they are obviously free to practice
their own beliefs. What is great is that no one is overjudgemental. The
organization has a diverse set of people from varying religious and ethnic
backgrounds who are all valued both for their personal piety and their
professional contributions.

Faith and development

Some of the world’s poorest communities are
primarily faith-based. And Muslim communities are often more welcoming towards
aid agencies that operate using principles the community also uses. As a
result, leading Islamic NGOs can be a critical part of the solution to changing
community perceptions of what I call “pseudo-religious” issues (such as female
genital cutting, child marriage and honor killings) that communities may accept
but that are not in adherence with Islamic beliefs. I am very much looking
forward to countering some of these deeply oppressive cultural practices from a
real faith perspective.

Of course, no organization comes without its
challenges and internal politics. Faith has always had an intense but uneasy
relationship with postwar secular notions of development. As faith-based
organizations, we find ourselves questioning whether religion should simply be
a personal inspiration for the work we undertake—or should things go further
and manifest themselves in our projects and fundraising work? How explicit
should our beliefs be within the subculture of the organization? And then there
is the slightly unfair issue of making sure that we are always viewed as being
completely impartial in conflict situations—whereas secular organizations never
seem to be accused of supporting their own ideologies and perhaps being
naturally partial in similar situations.

Nevertheless, I have come to realize that faith can
be a powerful tool for change— both at an individual and a social level.The motivation, compassion and capacityto seek change for the greater good andfrom seeking the pleasure of God is
clearlyevident in the volunteers, staff
and fieldofficersI have worked with during my time here. That is not to say that secular
organizations are not also driven to make a difference towards a greater
purpose.

For me, however, this is probably my first
full-time paid employment that I’m actually enjoying. The fact that it is
faith- based is probably one important element in the equation. But, it is
still early days. Ask me to write this
same piece 12 months later and my perception of faith-based NGOs might
havechanged altogether—but I hope I won’t havebeen poorer for the experience as a whole.

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in South Africa

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About Me

Journalist, writer and researcher specialising in issues concerning Muslim communities, community cohesion, radicalisation and counter-terrorism policy
Contributes to the Huffington Post UK and the Independent and hosts a blog on combating extremism